There has been significant interest in the Macedonian government's public call for airlines to introduce new routes to Skopje and Ohrid airports in exchange for subsidies. The General Manager of airport operator TAV Macedonia, Nejat Kurt, said, "As far as I am informed, many airlines have applied for the call, though I cannot disclose which ones at this moment". He highlighted that TAV representatives held regular meetings with the Ministry of Transport and Communications before the call was issued. Mr Kurt also noted that the new subsidy model is expected to attract more airlines and routes to the country's airports.
The development comes as TAV unveiled plans to develop a masterplan for Skopje and Ohrid airports for the upcoming twenty to thirty years. "The masterplan we are currently preparing, with the support of our majority owner ADP, is aimed at the growth and development of both Macedonian airports. Our objective is to further advance the aviation industry in Macedonia”, Mr Kurt said. He added, “The analysis will determine the necessary improvements required at Skopje International Airport and Ohrid St. Paul the Apostle Airport, after which the findings will be presented to the government. Our ambition is to position Skopje and Ohrid airports as regional aviation hubs, competitive with other airports in the region". TAV’s concession of the two airports runs until 2032.
The current public call for airlines to apply for subsidies to launch new routes from Skopje and Ohrid airports remains open until October 7 at 10:00. A key difference from previous tenders, which were almost exclusively won by Wizz Air, is that this call allows non-European carriers to participate. However, applicants must have handled at least five million passengers in 2023 and reported a net profit of at least ten million euros. Financial support will be awarded based on criteria such as the duration of operations, the frequency of weekly flights, the appeal of the destination airport, and the number of seats available for sale.
What a stark difference with LJU
ReplyDeleteShows that the Slovenian tender is sh*t.
DeleteSubsidy again... You're kidding me 🤦♀️.
Deleteisnt the slovenian tender more flexible than the macedonian? the other doesnt allow routes to be partly disconnected during winter
DeleteExcellent news. I'm hoping the fact that non European airlines could apply made a difference
ReplyDeleteyes, return of QR would be perfect
Delete+1
Delete+1
DeleteLH, for sure
DeleteHope the master plan includes terminal expansion at SKP and OHD.
ReplyDeleteYes its include for SKP they wait the airport to get bigger numbers in a single year because the capacity limit of 4m is still not reached , since the numbers comes close to they will start expansion , and for OHD the pandemic cancel the building of new terminal , but they will do it in close future.
DeleteI wonder if the planned reconstruction of Ohrid airport in 2020, then for reasons we all know postponed for 2021 and never started is part of this plan?
ReplyDeleteOr TAV forgot about it?Some do not forget that investments planned for the cancelled Shtip cargo airport should've been allocated in different projects.
Since the government allows them to do so why would they spent money to invest.
DeleteThe government just subsidizes airlines and TAV collects the fees.
Why was Ohrid airport renovations cancelled?
DeleteWhere was Shtip cargo centre to be built, and why was it cancelled?
"The government just subsidizes airlines and TAV collects the fees" how dare you say those conspiracies!
DeleteFor the cargo airport in Shtip dont blame TAV , it is government decision that the position of the future airport is not good , and they ask TAV to relocate the funds and they did it. For OHD they cancel the building because of the pandemic , but they did not giwe from that plan , and they will do it.
Deletei bet the pandemic was over in 2023 https://www.exyuaviation.com/2023/03/ohrid-airport-to-get-new-terminal.html
DeleteOriginally the plans for OHD building is from 2019 not 2023 ...
DeleteLazu Turci. Nista ne rade, samo cekaju da drzava uradi nesto za njih. A drzava im sve udovoljava. Cika Mita i teta Korupcija.
DeleteWelcome to TK!
ReplyDeleteWe don't want airlines with less than 5M passengers - says the airport that can't even get to 4M!
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteThey want to avoid falling for the same bait as Tuzla who gave money to a small carrier that discontinued flights less than half a year later
DeleteAnd if you made less than 10M profit, don't even talk to us. We want to give money only to very profitable airlines. And your airport has to be appealing, says the airport with flights to some rural airports. What is considered appealing anyway? Maldives, Hawaii and Tahiti?
DeleteFlights to destinations which have potential, rather than small and regional airports that very few know of and have very few flights. Again, mirroring Tuzla, which saw a tiny airline fly to almost worthless destinations. Skopje wants to avoid that
Delete@9.54 +1
DeleteHow the hell do u want SKP to get to 4 million pax with a country of 2mil population? 09:54 is right. Nonsense.
Delete@13.42 they already have 3mil. look at PRN
DeleteHow the hell SKP is getting close to 3m then ? And country is 2m ? Why are you speaking bullshit , they want a serious and a stable companies to apply on this calls , airlines that made profit , is it so hard to understand it?
DeleteEvery single airline with less than 5M passengers and less than 10M profit is not serious and stable?
DeleteWizz had 8,7 million loss in 2011. No objections to that loss when Wizz started operations from North Macedonia in 2011 and established a based in Skopje in 2012.
Delete22:29 in that time there was no tender rule for profit , thats why Wizz eats all the cake every time , but now its different , there couple changes of the rules.
DeleteYes there was a rule for profit and passenger numbers ever since the very first tender. You ae talking like a party soldier
DeleteWhat stops Slovenia of doing a similar tender?
ReplyDeleteEU regulations
DeleteMr. Kurt also said that an airline that has never entered the Macedonia market has also applied
ReplyDeleteJust hope it's not a gazillionth Turkish airline.
Deletehaha, Ankara is calling! (Ajet or Pegasus)
Deletei stand corrected: "that has never entered" i read as "has never applied". now that makes it more interesting
DeleteMaybe BA returns :)
DeleteDid Air France ever fly to SKP?
Deletenon
DeleteThe airline that never applied can be anyone than Wizz or Aegean.
Delete@13.42 "an airline that has never ENTERED the Macedonia market"
DeleteCould be KLM,AF,Iberia,BA ...
DeleteBA has
DeleteRyanair :)
DeleteGood to hear
ReplyDeleteOh oh be careful with this new minitser, everything he has said so far made very little sense...
ReplyDeletethis can also mean also "zero" or just "Wizz", just saying
(ofc I would love it to be "many")
Can you name a few of these senseless statements?
Deletethe positive thing for me is that ADP is being active... we have never heard ADP in relations with SKP Airport before
ReplyDeleteThey intense the work now , not before , since ADP get more % of TAV ...
DeleteWell if many airlines have applied that's really good. Since there are over 2 weeks left until the tender closes.
ReplyDeleteMany airlines applied.
ReplyDeleteThe airlines that applied: Wizz Air, Wizz Air UK, Wizz Air Malta, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi.
:D:D:D
DeleteI majkati vo sredina 11:37
DeleteMaybe we see Lufthansa launch Munich, or Air Dolomiti since LH is offloading many routes to them.
ReplyDeleteI think Iberia applied for a route between Madrid and Skopje
ReplyDeleteI hope so :D
DeleteIberia have plans to enter Macedonian market since last year, and now even before the call , in June they made its first flight to SKP.
DeleteI wouldnt put too much into it as it was a chartered flight organized on behalf a spanish tour operator. Its more realistic that a low cost starts it
DeleteYes but it was just a test to see is there potential , wish and many more other things. Doesnt matter Volotea,Enter,Vueling , we just want flights to Madrid and Barcelona.
Deleteis it clever to anounce such a thing in the middle of the process?
ReplyDeleteThey dont say which one , they just saying that the interest is big , nothing bad with that.
Deletei hope these "many" airlines have actually applied and not only showed interest like many years ago (there was even an article here about it)
ReplyDeleteaccording to TAV Macedonia CEO they applied. Let's wait and see.
DeleteThey applied already , they never spoke about someone shows an interest.
DeleteEurowings?
ReplyDeleteif there ever was a golden moment to start DUS, then now
DeleteHope we se Ohird malmo back again
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteThe good thing is that EU and non EU airlines applied,and are stable and succesfully airlines , that giwes me hope. Also the inflation that hits the world ,government now giwes for one passenger is good deal for any airline 9 eur from SKP and 12 from OHD that is not small amount for a single pax. I tell and before the 3 crutial things in the tenders are changed and we see the results with just 2 weeks of launching the call.
ReplyDeletekako prvo nobody knows who applied, so slow it down
Deletenothing crutial was "changed" except an addition of non-eu airlines. Its the same tender from last time with 2 eur more for SKP.
They explicitely say they want to bring tourists with this tender but forget to support seasonal flights to Ohrid, thats an Epic Fail. The only thing they will bring is one/two gastarbajter routes, 12€ for gazda Mile and gazda Arben. Wizz in generally NOT bringing many tourists to Ohrid on their 3 year-round routes.
There are changes , Non eu airlines , supporting destinations not airlines ,more money , passenger on coming , it is still better tender then all previous. Lets wait and see.
DeleteI think any airline interested in OHD will apply for either regular or seasonal flight , they have the option only for seasonal from OHD, but not sure for SKP.
and the previous was not about supporting destinations!?!
DeleteWhat is the difference if you give money for incoming pax or departing pax, its totallly nonsence as if those incoming pax would never return from Macedonia. Now Wizz will choose even more hardcore gasto routes rather then leissure ones because they have to rely on incoming pax.
There is nothing "I think" you have the tender on the ministry site. Its clearly written what is. Read it
Yes but you never can now how many people will depart the country , but you always want to bring more people to come in right ? Thats the tourist segment of this tender and thats the point , to bring more tourist to come in ...I think the money and the Non eu changes are decide for any potentinal flights.
Deleteim totally for bringing tourists and the increased money (i also see the timing of this tender great) but there is no "incoming" tourist route that can work on a year round basis for Ohrid as the tender dictates. Its a missed opportunity because there seems nobody to guide them. Ohrid- Istanbul/Poland/UK can work only during the summer
DeleteIts enough to look at Dubrovnik and Zadar (they suppport seasonal routes) even Zagreb does and get some inspiration nspired by their recent success they know a thing or two about tourism
Anyway lets wait and see
Yes make sense what you are saying , but couple years ago OHD had alot destinations from different countries , and neither of that was not subsidy ,only Wizz right ... and as I know any airline that see potentinal in summer flights can start without subsidy help , the only help they can get it is for regular flights, what SKP and OHD really need in the moment is regular flights during the year , not only summer , summer will always have tourists , but whay will do the rest of the year?
Deletethey will do nothing for the rest of the year just like Pula, Rijeka, Zadar, Corfu and that is totally fine with me.
DeleteThe tender for OHD should have had two rules, one for regular flights (12€) and one for seasonal flights with something less than 12€ (8-9€)
beside Memingen/Dortmund/Vienna/Zürich I see only one-two more gasto routes as possible for year round routes
The key to OHDs development is supporting seasonal flights, I hope ADP now wakes up our dinosaurs
Anyway OHD in the past has very good regular flights through the year , more then 12 , now are just 2 , thats a hard down step , and also after the summer that site of the country need alternative for flying not to go to SKap
Delete..
OHD had Milan, Malmo, London and maybe i forgot something, all of which were W6.They even downgraded Basel to seasonal if I am not wrong which is unbelievable for such a gasto route and Wien is 2 pw.
DeleteAs for seasonal routes it even had let's say the exotic Tallinn or Tel aviv.
The gov't/TAV should've first put effort to bring back those 'workable/gasto' destinations, secondly make connection to Istanbul etc.
Maybe Milan was not a happy choice but Torino/Cuneo and especially Treviso will be.Eindhoven/Amsterdam could work year round 2 pw, some Swiss/German and LJU.
It is also interesting how HAM, SXF, DUS, STR, CPH, ZRH, GVA were ok 2-3 pw in those strange times with MAT/Avioimpex and not now when there are more afffordable prices and full planes.
@sendvici so kaskaval
Delete"and the previous was not about supporting destinations!?!"
Correct, it only supported WizzAir, and they cut most of the lines (most of them full) because they had no rivals in these airports, and sent the planes to other routes simply because they had RyanAir and others to compete from those airports. So yeah, it matters a lot.
As for them not supporting outgoing flights, wouldn't that be a good option to prevent airlines from double subsidy profit (by an incoming flight subsidy from another country)?
Let's be honest Wizz will win again.
ReplyDeleteIt might, but more than one airline can win at the same time
DeleteNo as first Wizz dont have enough planes to apply or get any new destination , first they did not serve the ones that they get money for , if the tender was called in summer 2025 yea they have some chances , but now no !!!
Deletethey can start their routes whenever they want in the given period
DeleteIn this moment most entire of their fleet is grounded , what do you mean they can start when they want ? So they can start after 1 year ? Its not make sense for me
DeleteIt's very easy for them to pull a plane from another base if they think subsidies can make them a bigger profit in Macedonia.
DeleteI see Ryanair coming this time with 3 or 4 routes. It fits perfect to their intended Balkan expansion plus they will cover PRN as well.
DeleteI would love to see Iberia or KLM as well but not sure if they applied.
I am telling you that Wizz in this moment is not in a position of getting any new routes from SKP ,they do not have enough sources do handle it.
Delete@17.56 when ypu apply for these subsidies you specify the destination and when it will be launched. The start of the destination can be any date of the period for which this tender is valid.
Delete19:01 yes i got that , but my question is , do you think that Wizz have enough resources to do it in this moment? Their fleet will be grounded for the next 1.5 year , and for sure they will not take plane from other country and bring it here.
Deletehonestly i dont know
DeleteThats what I am saying , they are not in a position in the moment to get piece from the cake , they face huge problem with their fleet.
DeleteWizz will switch a plane at the drop of a hat if they can hoover up subsidies. They are bottom feeders and blood suckers. Makedonuts will fly to any German or Swedish village.
ReplyDeleteDa a ebam majkati so donuts ako li ?
DeleteDoes anyone know what the demand for Bucharest is?
ReplyDeleteI dont believe there is any big demand for Buchurest ...
DeleteBucharest is a lovely city.
DeleteWell there are bus tours from both countries, interest is rising.
DeletePeople were saying there is no demand from Ljubljana too, lol
Delete14:04 you cant compare bus programs with plane , the second ones are way more expensive for some tourists , thats why they choose bus because its cheaper option...
Delete